Re: [HoE] Answers to my "Something About A Sword" post...

["Steve Crow" <crow_steve@hotmail.com>]

><<Does Deflection work on Burst Radius attacks?  I suppose Doomsayers 
>_could_
>target a specific person (yes, they have to roll to hit), but it seems
>easier just to target a spot of ground (within 10 yards, certainly) near a
>target.  Why give them a chance to Dodge, use Guardian Angel, or 
>anything?>>
>
>   Well, that is how a Doomsay usually WOULD do it, but the Marshall
>specifically targeted it DIRECTLY at the Templar, knowing that if it hit 
>him,
>it would still take out the posse Doomsayer and the main building.  Bill, 
>the
>Templar's player, asked, "Is it coming at me? Like dead on at me?  Like it
>was aimed direcly at me?"
>   He knew what he was doing, even if none of us did.  He made sure he 
>backed
>the Marshall into a corner before trying to deflect it.
>   He just tried to do it with an invisible Syker attack that he was not 
>aware
>was coming, but I had to rule that he had to be aware of the attack coming.
>   Crafty bastard.
>

I understood how the situation ended up that way.  It's just that as a 
Marshal I _never_ target Nuke at a person.  There is as far as I can tell no 
reason to _ever_ do such a thing, rather than aim at the ground next to 
them.  Doesn't matter if the target is a Templar or nt.  Just have your 
doomsayers/bringers say No to specific Nuke targeting.

I did check the Templar Book, and yep, Deflefction won't work on Burst 
Radius stuff that isn't aimed at the Templar himself.  He also does have to 
know it's coming.

>   <<, "Now?  We die."
> >
>
>*heh*  Nice quote.
> >>
>
>   One of the Klingon commanders in Star Trek 2 or 4, I believe.  One of 
>the
>greatest lines ever.
>

Actually, I thought it was from The Last Starfighter...

>   <<Not sure I would have let that limit me as a Marshal.  Just bring in a
>second Doombringer who was lurking in the background.  Did you give the
>Templar the coup for killing Malias?>>
>
>   Naaahhh... I like the idea of an adept doomsayer being in charge now.
>Smarter, craftier, less "Oomph" behind his powers, but quite a bit more of
>them, with a better range.  Plus, he's more of a "man of the mutant 
>people,"
>using Sibilant Speeh of Silas to draw in mutie ofter mutie to his cause,
>making Rock Springs a major mutie jumping-off point.
>

Whatever works.  I kinda like the fear and loathing and Joker-like maniacal 
laughter that a Doombringer brings to the table myself.  But I would agree 
that in the written adventure, Malias (or any Doombringer) doesn't seem like 
the type to negotiate with the main bad guys...

>   And I haven't decided about the coup, really.  I wasn't running that
>session, and I thought that a person would have to be really close at the
>time of death.  They were about a hundred yards away.  The closest person 
>to
>the Doombringer was the Adept, Kirkland.  I think that they may have just
>given their enemy the doombringer's coup...

Well, I think you have to contribute to the Coup-source's death, so I don't 
think your new Doomsayer would get it.  It isn't like Quickenings in 
Highlander.  :)  I'd also rather doubt that Reckoner/fear-types would get 
Coups at all, even if they turned on each other.

Although I suppose it could get really dangerous if, say, a Lurker killed 
several other Lurkers that moved into its territory.  "It has how much of a 
bonus to it's Sneakin' in Urban areas?!?"

>   However, for the posse abandoning Last Chance, I dropped a Black Chip in
>the pot (3 sessions s far, and still no such luck), and for the fact that 
>the
>Templar used the 'bringer's own nuke on him, I gave Bill an Arcane chip.
>

I don't use Black Chips, but then again, I've only had a party once (and it 
was only half a party) get that close to earning it.  Instead, I just 
penalzied the individual PCs.  One lost his Martyr (York), and the other 
picked up the Harrowed-like mutation and came one step closer to becoming a 
Death Servitor.

>   <<Well, the first thing is to hope it all works as planned.  As has been
>often
>noted, "No strategy survives contact with the enemy."  It sounds like
>somewhat of a deliberate...well, screwover to me.  How it goes over depends
>on what the players are like, what they expect, etc.  Whatever works, I
>suppose. >>
>
>   Yeah, I guess you could call it a deliberate screwover.  I just like the
>idea of the Templar really feeling like he deserves to get the sword when 
>he
>finally gets it, because of all the hardship he will have gone through, an
>Anti-Templar he will have killed, a cybernetic arm he will end up using for
>the rest of his life... I want it to be a well-deserved reward, not an
>entitlement because the adventure says he should get it.

One thing I should've noted earlier is that IMO a Reckoner-type servant like 
a manitou shouldn't be able to become a Anti-Templar.  As with much of the 
whole Deadlands/HoE/Evil/Servitor thing, it seems to require a conscience 
choice of turning to evil.  A manitou (well, the ones that end up hopping 
into Harrowed bodies) are inherently evil and simply can't make that choice.

For one thing, becoming an Anti-Templar seems to require some training and 
internship with an existing Anti-Templar.  The Templar SB seems to suggest 
that it requires more than just killing a Templar.

That's certainly open to interpretation (I don't take that strict a view 
myself!).  But...I just don't think every evil creature that kills a Templar 
becomes an Anti-Templar.

That's not to say that you can't give AT-type abilities (all or some) to 
other evil creatures.  It's just that philosophically having a Manitou 
completely dominating a Harrowed into _becoming_ an Anti-Templar didn't seem 
to be quite in line with the Templar SB info on the matter.  But whatever 
works for you, of course.  :)



---

Steve Crow

"Worm Can Opener Extraordinare"

Check out my website at:  http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Stargate/4991/

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